Argentina relied on experience in the third quarter to overcome a stubborn Nigerian side 94-81to record their second victory in Group B at the FIBA Basketball World Cup on Monday at the Wuhan Sports Center.
Argentina got off the mark with a strong start to announce their intentions early on establishing a double-digit lead but the Nigerians turned up the heat in the second quarter to tie the game at the half time break.
Straight out of the locker rooms and into the fire, Nigeria were caught off-guard by a relentless Argentine side that was in no mood for mediocrity at this stage, going full throttle to establish a firm lead inspired by a good foundation on defense.
Despite a really late charge in the last two minutes of the last quarter, Argentina were the better team as they went on to record their 60th win in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Only five other teams have already reached this mark: USA (124), Brazil (82), Yugoslavia (73), Soviet Union (66) and Spain (64).
Turning point: Argentina slowed down the Nigerians successfully cutting off their supply in the paint and forced them to make outside shots in the third quarter – something the Nigerians failed to execute much to the pleasure of Sergio Hernandez and his men. Nigeria only converted nine of their 28 attempts behind the arc.
TCL Player of the Game: Luis Scola was named TCL Player of the Game after registering a double-double, scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of playing time. He converted 6-of-7 attempts at the charity line and went 7-of-11 from the field.
This set him up as the second all-time highest scorer at the FIBA Basketball World Cup at 611 points – a record that was held by Australian legend Andrew Gaze.
Stats Don’t Lie: Nigeria coach Alexandre Nwora will look back at this game and feel disappointed with the number of team fouls – 25 his team committed considering that Argentina converted 22 of their 27 attempts at the free-throw line.
However, he can find solace in the fact that Nigeria’s 10 blocks today were the most by an African team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the 21st century. Only Spain have made more blocks than Nigeria in that span – 13 against Senegal in 2014.
Bottom Line: Argentina looked very much like they would emerge victorious even when Nigeria established a slim lead in the first half. History was on Argentina’s side. Argentina have won all the 11 games against African teams in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Inspired by Scola’s monumental feat, today was not the day his teammates would disappoint him. They put their bodies on the line and accomplished this victory for him.
They Said: “They are huge and athletic. We knew that it was going to be fast-paced. We needed to stop their first breaks. We did a great job by listening to the coaches. very aggressive and very good game. Their three-pointer shooting was not good. We controlled the game. the big difference was the big guys they did a good choice.” – Argentina small forward Patricio Garino
“Before the game, that it will be tough and a definitive game to determine. Nigeria is a great team, strong and runs the floor. One of the best things that Argentina did was to stop the first break in the third quarter. We stopped them and in the third quarter, we are really, really happy. In four years, we have a new game. The Arena was unbelievable.” – Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez
“We really wanted to win this game but unfortunately we fell short. We had moments when we got down, fought back but Argentina came back and won. They play as a team. As a country, we would like to continue to immerse ourselves and to win games. We still have another game and we will make adjustments. I did not do so well but I was trying to be defensive-minded and be a leader. Overall as a team, we are still trying to make adjustments.” – Nigeria point guard Ben Uzoh
“I am proud of my team. We fought hard. There is a couple of plays that were crucial that could have gone our way but they did not. This is a very young team that does not have experience but if they stay together, we can do a lot more. We are still one of the best teams in Africa in my opinion but we have not yet shown it. I thought it would be this time but obviously we still have some things to improve. We have played very good teams that have a good culture of basketball. They have been together for about 15 years. That is a fact. My team gave their best. We will get better as a team.” – Nigeria coach Alex Nwora
FIBA
